Doctor Luttrell's First Patient

a wild Aeolian harp of

s a loud perpetual wail, as

he sent in her name by Phoebe; th

ver sees anyone on Christmas Day; and Mrs. Crampton says he is but p

trell; but Olivia's heart beat a little quickly as she entered

the blazing fire and a small green reading-lamp made a spot of brightness. Deep shadows lurke

an usual; the fine features looked as if they were carved in old ivory, they were so fixed and rigid; as he held ou

sat in his gre

d a surprise,

Aunt Madge's message. Somehow I could not bear to think that we were so happy and that you were sitting alone and feeling

as ghosts have been holding high revel this evening; one of them has been pointing and gibing at me for ever so long: 'You are reaping what you have sown,' that was what it said. 'Why do you grumble at your har

in hands to the blaze. He had not asked her to sit down,

ll and sad, and so everything looks black and hopeless-let me ta

ness even, would have repelled him; but her gentleness and childlike directness seemed to soothe him in spite of himself. And as she repeated Mrs. Broderick's message, though h

what I said when I saw that picture of the old shepherd looking at th

nd and held it in her firm grasp, there wa

muttered. "If only one had been spared to me, only one

she is so real. Why should it not be true?" she went on, with gathering excitement, "nothing that is good can die! Love is eternal, and it is only pain and grief and sin that can come to an end. That is what Aunt Madge says, and she does more than say it, she lives it. Of course she misses her husband dreadfully-they were everything to each other-but he never seem

s hand heavily on her arm, "Mrs. Broderick must be a wonderful woman, and I hope to see her some

" returned Oliv

t do you suppose a man can have in thinking of his wife, when he knows he has acted contrary to her desires,

nces were too hard for him. Perhaps he did his best; but it is not alw

should do the same. Mrs. Luttrell, you do not know me; it is my whim to be generous now and then. I like to give and it costs me nothing, but I am a hard, domineering man; when people

ned Olivia, almost to herself, but Mr. Gaythorne he

ifference to me. Ah, well, it is no use talking, some spirits refuse to b

be waiting for me," and Olivia rose as she spoke. "And now before I go may I ring for the lamps

. As she bade him good-night, he said, a little wistfully, "You can come to-morrow afternoon if you like. I have those views of Venice an

ts? or would they return again, with tenfold force? "remorse;" that was the word he used, this was the canker-worm that was robbing

rd, rigid look had quite disappeared before I left. I have a feeling somehow that one day he will open his heart to me and tell me h

she was young, and as the heavy gate closed after her, and she hurried across the road, a sudden

at he was doing-cutting the pages of Esmond for their evening reading. How charmed h

ered her as she rang the bel

en a moment, I want to speak to you, and Martha is upstairs. No, not there," catching ho

ddenly perceived his grave, preoccupied look, "there is

ght, and the house is not on fire, and Martha is enjoying her

one here? Is it one of your old hospital f

f a door-step. At first I thought he was drunk, and I meant to call a policeman, but I very soon f

s. "Have you given him some food? But why is he not here

her night of exposure and want would have killed him. I took him into the parlour because the couch was handy, but directly he spoke I saw he was a gentleman-at

what are we to

e. When he tried to sit up just now, he nearly fell back from exhaustion. I should say from the look of him that he has been ill,

first, and then we will

just now. All this has hindered me so that I have not been to t

Marcus must do his work, but her vision of a cosy evening was sadly ma

e fire and Marcus's easy chair was pushed back, and there in the warmth and firelight, wi

ed the room and stood beside the c

poor, threadbare garments, this was evident; the features were well-cut and refined; the

er, and yet he looked so boyish and innocent in his

betwixt heaven and earth. When the bond of brotherhood that linked human beings together was drawn closer

A fair moustache covered his mouth, but Olivia, who prided herself on reading character, soon decided that the chin and lower part of the face show

doorstep, and some good Samaritan carried me in;" then in the

usly. How ill he looked-the eyes looked preternaturally large in the wasted face. "It is

ly; "I was always 'Murad the Unlucky;' it would have been all over with me in a few hours if the doctor h

turned Olivia, hurriedly; then she wen

search of her, he found her airin

, where the iron bedstead is; there are the mattress and the two blankets Aunt

ooking at her questioningly. "To be sure, I hardly know how we

ickly. "We have not got the cruise of oil, remember, and, as Aunt Madge says, w

Well, Livy, I think you are about right; we must do our best for the poor beggar; now and then one must help 'lame dogs over stiles,'" and Marcus, whos

uch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren.' Oh, Marcus, you